Stunning beaches, $500 apartments, and cheap flights: Why 3 Americans moved to Albania

Alicia Walter and her husband, Nathan Stark, have traveled around the world. But of all the places they’ve been, Albania was the one that stole their hearts — so much so that they moved there from San Diego in 2023.

“Albania is absolutely gorgeous and still feels untouched by mass tourism, especially compared to other European destinations like Barcelona, Paris, London, Rome, and even Prague,” Walter, 28, told Business Insider. “The food is some of our favorite anywhere, and the locals are incredibly welcoming and have treated us like family.”

It’s not perfect — the country is still developing after decades of isolation under communism, and infrastructure in the capital of Tirana was damaged in a 2019 earthquake — but for Walter and two other Americans who spoke to Business Insider, the benefits of living in Albania outweigh the costs.

Their experiences highlight Albania’s rebrand as a modern, worldly nation. The small Mediterranean country, which is bordered by Greece and Montenegro and sits across the Adriatic sea from Italy, has a population of fewer than 3 million, or less than half that of New York City.

With stunning beaches along its southern coast, the Alps to the north, and hospitality and dining far cheaper than in neighboring countries, Albania has become an increasingly attractive tourist destination. And when the travelers come to visit, some are opting to stay full-time.

Tourists are coming to Albania — and so are expats

Government data shows that Albania welcomed 11.7 million foreign visitors in 2024, up 15.2% from the year before. Of those, 306,000 were from the Americas.

“Albania was under communism for so long, where people really couldn’t leave or go into the country,” said Kelsey Linnell, an American-born Albanian and travel planner at Carlisle Travel Management. “Now it’s on the map because, one, it is safer. And even though it’s a very small country, it’s very diverse.”

“It’s also very inexpensive to travel to Albania, so I think that’s a big highlight for a lot of people,” she added.

While far more Americans visit Albania than settle there, three who moved to Tirana, the country’s capital, told Business Insider about their first impressions, what convinced them to relocate, and the benefits and challenges of living there.

For Americans, Albania is cheap and accessible

One of the biggest factors in Walter’s decision to move to Albania was its visa policy.

US citizens can enter Albania without a visa and stay for up to a year. When paired with Europe’s Schengen visa, a short-term travel permit covering 29 countries, Americans can freely exit Albania and re-enter the country, resetting and extending their stay.

“There are a lot of advantages to living here,” Walter said. “For example, we can take a $100 flight to Rome for the weekend, and when we return, we can start fresh with more time in the EU.”

The cheap cost of living relative to the United States is also a major benefit.

“Housing in Albania is way more affordable than in the States,” Walter said. “In 2019, we lived in San Diego and rented a 630-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit about an hour from the city center for $1,250 a month — the cheapest rent we could find.”

Now, they’re paying about $520 for a 740-square-foot, one-bedroom unit near downtown Tirana.

For Cheryl Orlov, who moved from Los Angeles to Tirana in 2023, moving to Albania was about more than finding cheap rent, though paying under $500 a month for a two-bedroom apartment certainly sweetened the deal.

“While I was happy living in Los Angeles, I still had an aching wanderlust,” Orlov, 55, told Business Insider. She decided to dissolve her business, sell almost all her belongings, and get on a flight across the world.

Beyond Albania’s affordable housing, Orlov loves the country’s unique blend of influences: skyscrapers stand alongside communist-era buildings and the few remaining Ottoman-style mosques and historic homes.

“Albania’s culture and history are so rich — it’s mind-blowing,” she said.

In many ways, the country is still developing, which makes for a fascinating if imperfect experience. “You’ll still see bunkers scattered across cities,” Walter said. “A major earthquake near Tirana in 2019 also destroyed many homes, apartment buildings, and businesses, so there’s still a lot of ongoing construction.”

Albania isn’t perfect, but it’s a launching pad to the rest of the world

Digital nomad Greyson Ferguson initially moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2022 before moving to Tirana in April. Though he was in search of a cheaper lifestyle that would allow him to pay off his student loans, Albania’s natural beauty didn’t hurt.

“As someone who enjoys staying on top of travel trends, Albania piqued my interest,” Ferguson said. “The coastal photographs looked so nice that I thought they were AI-generated.”

For now, things are going well in Albania, though he’s well aware of the challenges of starting a new life in a different country. “The digital nomad experience is fluid, and your experiences aren’t always positive,” he said.

Orlov can relate. While she quickly adjusted to her new life, she admitted there are challenges, namely, learning the language and building lasting friendships.

“Learning Albanian is tough, but one of the biggest challenges to living here is how often expats come and go,” she said. “I’ve noticed that people usually stay for a year or two, then move on. The impermanence is difficult for me — it’s just hard to keep saying goodbye.”

Still, Orlov says the move has paid off. From Albania’s location in southern Europe, she can travel affordably across the continent, and the low cost of living means less worrying about bills.

“I’ve been experiencing so many different cultures, and while that’s not for everyone, I feel like a more complete person,” she said.

“I don’t know if Albania will be my forever place, but still, I’m really happy here,” she added. “I didn’t realize how stressed I was in America until I moved to Tirana.”

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